Record copier



Feb. 11, 1969 D. D. SLQAN RECORD COPIER ofE I Sheet r iled 061,. 12, 1966 Feb. 11, 1969 D, SL 3,427,106

RECORD COPIER riled Oct. 12, 1966 Sheet 2 of c .Fileci on. 12, mes

Feb. 11,1969' D. D. SLOAN 3,427,106

RECORD COPIER United States Patent Oflice 3,427,106 Patented Feb. 11, 1969 3,427,106 RECORD COPIER Donald D. Sloan, Weston, Mass., assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass., a corporation of Nevada Filed Oct. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 586,144

U.S. Cl. 3553 Int. Cl. G03b 27/32 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to machines for copying records on paper or other sheet material by projecting an image from a record gate to a copy window and more particularly to apparatus for concomitantly feeding records to the gate and copy material to the window. In prior apparatus of this type considerable care is required to feed the rec ords in straight, that is, with their edges parallel with the edges of the gate or window, and if fed in crooked, the reproduction is crooked on the copy material.

Objects of the invention are to provide apparatus which is simple and economical to produce and durable and reliable in use, and in which each record automatically feeds in straight.

In one aspect this invention involves apparatus comprising a gate through which a record maybe fed, a window for copy material, means on one side of the gate to focus an image of the record in the gate on the material in the window, the gate having an entrance and an exit, a conveyor moving along the other side of the gate from entrance to exit, means for positioning a record in said entrance including a stop in the path of the sheet to limit the extent to which the sheet may be inserted, and means for moving the forward margin of the sheet off the stop and pressing it against the conveyor to cause the record to feed through the gate. Preferably said entrance extends downwardly and said stop engages the lower edge of the record.

In another aspect the invention involves apparatus comprising a record gate and a copy window spaced apart along an optical path, means for projecting an image of a record in the record gate to copy material in the copy window, record feeding means for feeding records to the record gate, copy feeding means for feeding copy material to the copy window, and conjoint means for concomitantly starting a record through said gate and copy material to said window.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section largely diagrammatic;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a View from line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the mechanism for feeding a strip of copy material to the exposure window;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in position to sever a sheet from the strip;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a part of the feeding and severing means;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a view like FIG. 1 showing a modification.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a record gate 1 for a record to the copied, an exposure window 2 in which the paper or other copy material is exposed, an image of the record being illuminated by lamp 3 and an image of the record being projected to the copy material by a lens 4 and mirror 5. Between the window and mirror is a shutter 6 pivotally mounted to swing into the path of the light beam to adjust the degree of exposure. Preferably the light beam has an elongate rectangular shape such as shown at 7 in FIG. 3 and the copy material is exposed while it and the record are traveling continuously in synchronism. With an elongate beam the intensity of light decreases from the center toward the ends of the beam. To compensate for this decrease a mask 8 is disposed in the beam, the mask being shaped as shown in FIG. 3 to obstruct light in gradually decreasing degrees from the center toward each end. The mask is pivoted at 9 to swing about an axis perpendicular to the mirror so that, by tipping the mask about the axis, correction may be made for any slight misalignment of either of the windows or the mirror which results in a distance from record to copy material at one end of the elongate beam which is greater than at the other end.

Records are fed through the record gate by endless lbelts v11 traveling continuously in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 1 in juxtaposition to the gate 1. A record to :be copied is slipped into slot 12 until its forward edge abuts the shelf 13 and then, to start the record through the gate, the forward margin of the record is pushed off the shelf and pressed against the belts 11 by a flapper 14 pivotally supported at 16 and normally held in retracted position by a spring 17. After passing through the gate the record is deposited in slot 18.

The copy material C is supplied in strip form from a roll 21 through a slot in a cylindrical container 22 which is preferably constructed as described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 609,983. The strip feeds from the container between rollers 23 and 24. The lower roller is driven through a shaft 26 by a conventional cyclic slip driver such as shown in FIG. 4. As is well known this driver comprises a central shaft 27 to which is fastened, by screw 28, a hub 29 having a reduced extension 31. Fitting over the extension is another hub 32 driven by gearing 33. Surrounding the hubs is a coiled spring 34 and surrounding the spring is a sleeve 35 to which one end of the spring is anchored at 36. When the hub 32 is driven in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4 the spring grips the bu bs 29 and 32, causing them and the sleeve 35 to rotate together. On the outside of the sleeve is a l-ug 3-7 and in the path of this lu-g is a lever 38 pivoted at 39 to be swung out of the path of the lug by a manual push-bar 41. When the lug engages the stop the rotation of the sleeve and spring stops, releasing the grip of the spring on hub 29 and permitting free-wheeling of the hub 29, shaft 26 and roller 23. When the push-bar 41 is actuated momentarily the stop 38 disengages lug 37 and the spring-driven parts make another revolution before stopping again.

During the first part of each revolution roller 23 feeds the leading end of the strip to a pair of feed rollers 42 which are driven continuously at the same linear speed as roller 23. Before the strip has been advanced a dist-ance equal to the length of one copy sheet the slip driver stops as above described. The roller 4'2 continues to advance the strip with the rollers 23 and 24 freewheeling.

At regular intervals lengthwise of the strip C the copy material has elongate cuts 43 extending transversely of the strip to divide the strip into portions of length equal to that of the copy sheets S to be severed from the strip,

the material being stiff enough to cause the lips ofsaid cuts to arch up when the strip is pulled over a guide which changes its direction of travel. Thus when the strip is pulled over roller 23 by the rollers 42. the lips of the cuts arch away from the rollers as shown at 44 in FIG. 4. The spaces between the cuts are preferably perforated as shown in FIG. 6.

In the path of these lips is a controller 46 fast to shaft 47 to swing from the idle position shown in FIG. 4 t the operative position shown in FIG. 5. Fast to shaft 47 is an arm 49 pivotally supporting a pawl 51 cooperating with a ratchet wheel 52 on shaft 26. Normally the pawl is held out of contact with the ratchet wheel by a spring '53 but when a lip 44 actuates the controller 46 the pawl 51 is swung into engagement with ratchet wheel 52 which swings arm 49 against stop 53 (FIG. thereby stopping the free-wheeling of rollers 23 and 24. The continuing pull of rollers 42 'severs the foremost sheet S from the strip along the line of cuts 43 and passes the sheet on to the next pair of feed rollers 56. FIG. 5 shows the parts in the positions they occupy after the foremost sheet has been severed, with a gap 50 between the strip 'C and the severed sheet S. To start another cycle the pawl 51 is lifted from the ratchet wheel by a cam rod 57 sliding under a pin 58 on the pawl.

Between feed roller '23 and rollers 42 the copy sheets pass through a corona device '59 to receive an electrostatic charge in well-known manner, and between the feed rollers 42 and 56 each sheet is exposed as above described.

Bey-ond rollers 56 is another pair of feed rollers 61 which are disposed over a tank '62 of liquid 63 for developing the electrostatic images. A stream of developer is directed against the exposed side of each sheet S by a pump 64 which projects a ribbon of developer through a slot in a nozzle 66 directed into the nip between the rollers so as to produce vigorous agitation of the developer as it impacts the sheet. The feed rollers 61, which also serve as squeegee rolls, deliver the developed sheets through the outlet 67.

To cool the lamp 3 and dry the developed sheets a pump 71 circulates air through an inlet 72 in the casing 73, thence along the lamp to a duct 74 and thence through the outlet 67.

The aforesaid flapper 14, which starts a record through the gate 1, is actuated by a cam 76 on the shaft 26 through the medium of a lever 77 pivoted at 78. The aforesaid push-bar 41 and cam rod 57 (FIG. 4) are both connected to a lever 81 pivotally supported at 82 with a handle 83 at its upper end projecting through an open ing in the casing 73. Thus by pressing the handle momentarily a record is started through gate 1 and the strip C of copy paper is started by feed roller 23.

As indicated by the broken line 91 in FIG. 1 all the feeders are driven in synchronism by motor M. The distances between feed rollers are less than the length of a copy sheet so that, after being severed as indicated at 50, in FIG. 5, each sheet is picked up by the next succeeding pair of feed rollers before leaving the preceding air.

p From the foregoing it will be understood that upon pressing the handle 83 momentarily a record is fed through gate 1 and a sheet S of copy paper is fed through the exposure window 2 concomitantly. While the sheet S continues through the outlet 67, the strip C stops in the position shown in FIG. 5 until the handle 83 is pressed again.

In the modification shown in FIG. 8 the developer in tank 62 is replenished by a pump dispenser 92 of the well-known type having a plunger 93 which, when depressed, ejects a small amount of liquid through the nozzle 94. The plunger is depressed by an angular lever pivoted at 96 with one arm 97 bearing on the plunger and the other arm 98 carrying a stop 99. The lever is held in the position shown in FIG. 8 by a spring 100 and is swung counterclockwise by a pusher 57 connected to the aforesaid lever 81, the dispenser ejecting developer, when the lever 97-9-8 is swung clockwise by spring 100 as the lever 81 is returned to normal position by spring 82 (FIG. 1).

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for copying records comprising a gate through which a record may be fed, a window for copy material, means on one side of the gate to focus an image of the record in the gate on the material in the Window, the gate having an entrance and an exit, a conveyor moving along the other side of the gate from entrance to exit, means for positioning a record'in said entrance including a stop in the path of the record to limit the extent to which the record may be inserted, said stop being stationary, and a pusher for pushing the forward margin of the record off the stop and pressing it against the conveyor to cause the record to feed through the gate.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said entrance extends downwardly and said stop engages the lower edge of the record.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,835,179 5/1958 Fairbank 88--24 3,120,793 2/ 1964 Baglow et al. 88-24 3,245,330 4/ 1966 Okishima 8824 NORTON ANSH-ER, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD L. "MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

SSS-11 

